Nice Night for a Change
by Damusen
Summary: RustyLinus.  Cute lil' one shot.


Bonjour, how is everyone? Thought Id' do a little Rusty/Linus story, you're going to have to let me now whether or not I should continue.

Disclaimer: No.

* * *

"Nice night."

Linus started, whipping his head around and wincing at the cracking sound his neck made. He raised one hand in greeting and the other to rub his aching muscles, tentatively stretching and relaxing the tendons. Rusty quietly strolled up to stand beside him, eyeing the younger man in speculation.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I thought you'd have heard me before now."

It was an evident dig, and Linus scowled moodily. He was used to put downs and always being compared to Bobby, not Dad, never Dad, but the constant stream of snide remarks that this group seemed to think appropriate was getting old. Maybe they had been in the game a lot longer than him but he was worth his salt and he knew it. He had left home the moment he was able to get one over on his old man, relishing the look of utter shock on Bobby's face as his son stood there idly rolling the world's most elusive pickpocket's wallet between his fingers. But Rusty was older than him, and a childhood hero of Linus', and besides, he hated confrontations. So instead of retorting he quietly fumed.

Rusty sent an appraising look over to him.

"Why do you always do that?"

Linus raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?"

"That. Let people walk all over you. You open your mouth like you're gonna say something and then you don't."

Linus gave a non-committal jerk of the head. He felt more than heard Rusty's groan through the elbow that brushed against his arm.

"Jesus Christ, kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Yeah, yeah you are."

Linus knew his eyebrows were knitting together and that his bottom lip was jutting out in that discernible pout he had never quite been able to control. Rusty barked out a short laugh and Linus turned, quite about ready to leave without a goodbye. He had only taken one step before an arm was thrown out to stop him. Rusty was still smiling but it wasn't the cruel smirk of before. For the first time Linus saw genuine amusement flickering across his hazel eyes, mingled with something that Linus couldn't quite understand.

"How old are you kid?"

Linus was once again completely thrown off. He gazed suspiciously at the taller man and self-consciously shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"I would have thought you knew that."

"Danny looked you up kid, not me."

"Oh. Right."

"You were at college a couple of years ago?"

"A few. Harvard."

"Nice."

"I didn't like it. Dropped out after a term."

"Why?"

"Economics blows."

Rusty let out a deep, throaty laugh and Linus found himself grinning back, teeth and all.

"I'm twenty five."

"Liar."

"Twenty three."

"That's better. Although you look about twenty."

"I'd say you were fourty."

"Ouch. Low blow."

Linus grinned again. Rusty smiled at him.

"C'mon, we need to get back inside, dinner to eat, casinos to rob."

Rusty brushed his hand across Linus' arm, his fingers deliberately lingering just a second too long. Linus felt his breath hitch in his throat and shivers travel up his arm. Rusty wandered off, a bounce in his step and whistling something that Linus struggled to catch. He grinned. The Lady is a Tramp. Classy.

* * *

"Hey kid."

"Hey Rusty."

"Aren't you a little young for scotch?"

"Ha ha."

"Great comeback. Excuse me? I'll have a whisky, thanks."

The bartender nodded and set down the glass he had been absently cleaning. Rusty handed over a twenty and took the drink, sipping it languidly and watching the younger boy shift uncomfortably on his barstool.

"Um, Rusty? Any particular reason you're here?"

"Possibly."

"Right."

They lapsed into silence, Rusty staring outright at the young man who was shooting him glances every so often. Rusty caught his eye and smiled charmingly, amusement shooting through him at the blush staining Linus' cheeks. He not so subtly ran his eyes over the lithe form that echoed Bobby Caldwell's so well and took in every part of his appearance. He liked what he saw, and wondered how far down that blush extended.

"You did well kid."

"Thanks."

"No, seriously. You surprised me."

Linus opened his mouth angrily when a finger was pressed against his lips, and he was stunned into silence.

Rusty's gaze was heated, intense, and all Linus could think was that there was green amidst the hazel.

"So Linus, which room is yours."

The boy hadn't even realised that Rusty had moved his finger.

"…Room 161."

"Nice to know. I'll see you later this evening."

And with that Rusty downed the rest of his whisky and strode out of the bar.

A silver haired, good looking man watched him leave, downing his own scotch and following him out, determination echoing with every footstep.

* * *

Rusty was feeling very pleased with himself as he left the bar. Linus had been receptive and Rusty felt the familiar stirrings that came with the thrill of the chase. His thoughts had wondered to the obscene when he was slammed into a wall, the wind knocked out of him.

"Jesus Christ, Danny, what the fuck?"

Danny looked furious and Rusty was shocked slightly.

"Leave the kid alone."

"What?"

He was slammed into the wall again.

"Fuck, Rusty, that is Caldwell's kid you are messing with!"

The fight seemed to go out of him, and he let his oldest friend down from where he had him pinned. Rusty looked disgruntled, and dusted himself off.

"He's just a kid Rusty. You'll just hurt him."

Rusty shook his head and frowned.

"Hey Danny, you ever consider the possibility that maybe I genuinely like the kid?"

Danny studied him closely. He saw the good-looking exterior and the suave personality, the sharp clothes and the cool, calm collected façade. He also saw the burning want and need, the heady excitement and passion.

"Jesus. You really want him."

There was the smirk.

"Hell yeah."

"I didn't think you liked him."

"Me neither, not at the beginning. But he's going to be something. He's got finesse, shit, we weren't half as good as him at his age."

"Twenty two."

"Damn it. That little-"

"Look Rusty. Do what you want to do alright? But just think about it before you do it, ok?"

"Don't I always?"

Danny laughed wearily and clapped a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Maybe think about waiting until we get Benedict off of our asses. If everything goes according to plan we'll be on a plane out of here in two days."

"Off to see the world huh?"

"Yep, just me and Tess."

"That's good."

"What about you?"

"Thought I might check out Chicago. I hear they have great properties, very cheap."

Danny smiled and shook his head.

* * *

Linus, who usually saw himself as a rather calm and quiet person, found himself very jittery. As far as pickpockets went, he was one of the best, but it also meant he spent a majority of the time trying to be invisible, something he was very good at. Even if he hadn't grown up learning how to lift after his homework was done, he still would have been a shadow rather than a filled out person. What Rusty saw in him he didn't know.

The thought of Rusty set his blood on fire. He was so beautiful, so clever, so everything Linus wasn't.

So he waited. And waited. At first he panicked, sure that the scam had finally caught up with them. Then he got a call from Saul, asking how he was, he replied automatically, relief flooding over him. The he started to berate himself for acting like a silly child, waiting for the phone to ring like some teenager with a crush. He sat down on his bed and poured himself his third scotch of the day. Then his fourth. It hit nine o'clock and he began pacing again. Another two scotches later he was feeling rather more emotional, and he blinked at the clock reading ten. He stopped pouring himself glasses and started swigging from the bottle, his thoughts on Rusty and memories of teenage drinking binges, where he and his friends passed out by the pool in his house after stealing Bobby's liquor. Ten thirty. Miserably he realised that maybe Rusty wasn't coming.

He set down the now empty bottle and staggered out into the hallway, swaying as he waited for the lift. Danny would know what to do. His intoxicated mind became completely distraught and his face slackened in abject horror. What if Danny started to hate him? He was the newbie, the kid, he had no right to go and stir things up.

Before he knew it he was standing outside Danny's door and hiccupping slightly. Standing there, he wondered what to do, before suddenly the door was wrenched open.

Danny Ocean stood, still fully dressed, and behind him was gathered the entire crew, including, Linus noted dully, Rusty.

* * *

Rusty wanted to laugh at the state Linus was in, but he noticed the slight droop to his mouth and the unhappiness echoed in his gaze. Shit. He watched the way Linus swayed unsteadily and wondered briefly how much the kid had had to drink.

"Linus."

"I didn't know there was a meeting."

His words were so slurred it was almost impossible to comprehend. The Malloy brothers started laughing and most of the others went back to their drinks. Rusty stood up and moved closer to Danny who sent him a dirty look before turning back to Linus with an almost fatherly expression on his face. Rusty realised with a jolt that Linus was young enough to be Danny's son.

"Saul called you but he didn't think you were really listening."

Another dirty look.

"Don't worry, it's just to relax everyone, it wasn't important."

Linus apparently took great offence to this.

"I'm not important enough am I! I'll have you know –hic- that I am one of the best!"

God the kid was trashed. Everyone in the room was watching by now, most in amusement.

"I know kid. You're amazing."

"Stop –hic- fucking patro- patronising me!"

Rusty realised that Linus now suddenly had Danny's watch dangling from his fingers and he wondered when the hell the kid had made the snatch and how he could have done it in the state he was in.

"See! No one else, not even Bobby fucking Caldwell could have made that lift!"

And with that, he overbalanced completely and Rusty leapt forward to catch him. The room burst into laughter and Rusty stared at Danny, his gaze questioning. Danny nodded disapprovingly towards the open door and he half-supported, half-carried the kid through the corridors, down the lift and to room 161. Linus giggled as Rusty dug through his pockets and pulled out the key card, yanking him through and into the small living area. He eyed the empty scotch bottle with trepidation and watched as Linus struggled to stand up, using the sofa for support. He couldn't leave the kid there, it was a wonder he hadn't thrown up yet.

"Rusty, Rusty…"

"Yeah kid."

"Why'd you not –hic- why'd you not come to my room, you said you were gonna and you didn't."

He was rambling now. All Rusty could think was how good he looked with his shirt buttons undone and his hair tousled. Linus seemed to realise this, and he smiled tentatively, raking his eyes over Rusty's form. Before he knew what was happening, he strode forwards and captured Linus' lips with his own, and God, it was so good.

* * *

CLIFFHANGER'S R US!!! Do I continue?

REVIEW!!!


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